Can ADN nurses land jobs in the NICU?

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Okay first of all I DO NOT MEAN for this to become yet another ADN/BSN bash....I genuinely have a question.

I am taking prerequisite courses to get into a community college RN program. This is my last semester of prereqs, so i'm good to go.

I am an aspiring NICU nurse. I have been browsing these boards and it seems that many NICU's are hiring BSN's only? Is this true? I figured I would post in the NICU section....

p.s: any information about michigan specifically would be appreciated :)

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Specializes in ICU/Critical Care.

Yes, they can.

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Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.

It depends on the specific hospital/region you are applying to. I've known some NICU's to not hire new grads at all (but they are in the minority). I've known other NICU's that will only hire new grads if they have a BSN. Most will hire ADN's if they have some experience. Others will hire a nurse with any type of backgound -- new grad or not, BSN or not.

The hospital I currently work will hire new grads ONLY IF they have some kind of special additional experience -- such as having been a nursing assistant in a related specialty or if they have done a senior-year preceptorship or externship in a related area. As not many ADN programs have in-depth preceptorships, that means that most of the new grads have BSN's. A few of the new grads hired have ADN's -- but they have been working as nursing assistance while in school. Our NICU will hire nurses with any educational background if once they get some experience in a relevant area.

The best thing you can do is to contact the hospitals that would interest you after graduation and find out their practices -- because it varies widely depending on where you live and the availability of nurses with and interest in NICU.

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